The 84-year-old Kentucky senator said he will undergo intensive physical therapy at home while remaining involved in Senate business following a June fall and hospitalization.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Sen. Mitch McConnell has been discharged from a rehabilitation center and will continue recovering at home after a June fall left him briefly unconscious and led to an extended absence from the Senate.
McConnell announced the development in a statement released Thursday, thanking his medical team and those who had offered support during his hospitalization and rehabilitation.
“Earlier today, I was discharged from the rehabilitation center to continue my recovery at home. Elaine and I are grateful for the many well wishes and support from friends, colleagues, and Kentuckians, and for the attentive care I’ve received from excellent doctors, nurses, therapists, and hospital staff,” McConnell said.
The Kentucky Republican said his doctors had advised him to continue an intensive physical therapy program during the Senate’s state work period. He added that he plans to remain engaged with his staff and fellow lawmakers.
“On the advice of my doctors, I’ll maintain an intensive regimen of physical therapy from home during the state work period, and I’ll continue to engage with my staff and colleagues on important Senate business,” McConnell said.
McConnell was hospitalized June 14 after being found unconscious at his Washington, D.C., home following a fall. He later said medical examinations determined that he had not suffered a heart attack, stroke, concussion, broken bones, tumors or hemorrhaging.
“My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages. But I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital. While receiving excellent care over the past several weeks, I’ve also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia,” McConnell said.
The Office of the Attending Physician attributed several falls McConnell experienced during the year to complications related to his post-polio condition.
“Senator McConnell has experienced several falls throughout the year that have been attributed to his post-polio condition. He was admitted to the hospital four weeks ago after falling at home and sustaining minor injuries,” the office said in a statement.
Last month, McConnell released a photograph showing him smiling from a rehabilitation bed beside his wife, Elaine Chao. The most recent image was dated Sunday, July 26, and was accompanied by a statement from the Capitol’s Office of the Attending Physician.
“Senator McConnell continues his recovery from a fall at home in June,” the statement said.
The photograph followed weeks of public speculation about McConnell’s condition during his roughly two-month absence. Online rumors had claimed he was “brain dead” and being sustained by machines, but his statements and updates from the attending physician disputed those assertions.
McConnell had released an earlier photograph shortly after the unexpected death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, according to the account of his recovery. His subsequent medical update stated that his hospitalization resulted from the fall and that he had also been treated for a mild case of pneumonia.
A separate online post circulated the attending physician’s account of the hospitalization and McConnell’s history of falls.
McConnell said he will remain at home while continuing physical therapy and participating in Senate matters remotely during the state work period.
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